Sports Wrapups: May 7

Germantown girls softball

The Warhawks took control of the North Shore Conference race with a dramatic, 5-4, win over archrival Homestead on May 1.

Germantown (7-0 in NSC play and 10-4) overall, which followed that win with a 9-0 NSC triumph over Cedarburg on May 3 and a 6-5 loss to nonconference foe Arrowhead on May 4, hosts Milwaukee Lutheran at 7 p.m. Thursday. It is one of three league tilts for the Warhawks this week.

"This is always a good game," co-coach Amy Barbiaux said of the Homestead tilt. "They got the better of us in the sectional last year (to go to state), but we were fortunate this time around.

"It's always a big game."

Germantown had a 4-1 lead in that game before the Highlanders rallied for three runs in the fourth off winning pitcher Lauren Renard (five strikeouts and one walk). It remained that way into the eighth, until Amanda Witzlib got on with an infield single and then advanced to second on an overthrow to first.

She was bunted over to third by Alexa Bechler and when Erika Swoboda hit a long fly-out to right-center, Witzlib was able to score the winning run easily.

Germantown got eight hits off veteran Highlanders pitcher Rachel Behnken (10 strikeouts and one walk). Erika Berry had a big home run for the Warhawks.

In the win over Cedarburg, the Warhawks took advantage of 10 walks and a seven-run sixth to cruise past the Bulldogs. Witzlib got the start this game and struck out seven against three walks.

Germantown had a 4-0 lead against Classic 8 Conference leader Arrowhead (9-2), but Arrowhead finished off a rally with a three-run sixth to squeak out the win.

Menomonee Falls girls softball

Despite an unexpected loss to Brookfield East at the start of the week, the Indians remained in a tie for first in the Greater Metro.

Falls (6-1 in league and 9-3 overall) remains tied with West Allis Hale. The Indians hosts Sussex Hamilton (5-1, 7-2) in a critical GMC game at 4:15 p.m. Thursday and visits Arrowhead at 4:30 p.m. Friday.

The Indians beat Hamilton in a wild, 18-13, affair recently and Falls coach Wendy Wolff is looking for a cleaner game this time around.

Falls split a pair of games on Saturday at the Wilmot Invite, falling to Bay Port, 3-2, and beating New Berlin West, 6-3.

"Those were two quality teams and good tests for us," Wolff said. "We also got everyone a chance to play and in pressure situations."

Falls did defeat Brookfield Central, 5-2, on May 3, behind Nikki Festge's eight strikeouts and two walks as Rachel Kemnitz knocked in two runs and Nicole Weggen and Kelly Berglund had two hits apiece.

Berglund got the win in relief in the eight-inning West contest as she also had two hits and two RBIs. Bay Port scored three times in the third, and then held the Indians off as Festge (four strikeouts and four walks) took the loss.

Menomonee Falls boys track

The Indians continued to move forward, earning firsts in the 400-meter and 800 sprint relays in taking third in the Greater Metro Conference Relays on May 2.

"A very good day," Indians coach Bobby Regent-Smith said. "We were competitive across the board."

The Indians hosted the Ron Burling Invitational (named after the late boys track coach and Falls Hall of Famer) on Tuesday and now prepare for the Greater Metro Conference Outdoor at Brookfield East on May 15.

Falls scored 74 points for its spot in the relays as defending state champion Brookfield East won with 109.

The 400 team of Christian Almonte, Bryce Bradford, Nate Boehler and Matt Christensen won in a season-best of 43.92; while the sprint medley crew of Almonte, Boehler, Ayola Olapo and Christensen claimed a win in 1:36.07.

A second went to 1,600 relay team of Christensen, Adam Vechart, Mike Van Alstyne and I.J. Bullock (season best 3:29.58); while thirds were claimed by the 330 high hurdle shuttle of Justin Johnson, Keaton Shurilla and Wil Roscher (51.62); the pole vault trio of Aron Schwartz, Dylan Block and Zack Pogorzelski; the long jump crew of Boehler, Bullock and Daniel Dahlke; the triple jump team of Van Alstyne (third best individual jump at 40-10); and the discus crew of John DeWalt (third best individual throw of 126-6), Spencer Kolbeck and Anthony Russo

Falls got a first from the 3,200 relay team (8:29.93) to lead it to a fourth in the Burlington Demon Invitational on Friday. Seconds went to the 400 relay (44.47) and Christensen in the 200 (22.82). Schwartz turned in a personal record to take third in the pole vault (12-6) while other thirds included the 1,600 relay (3:32.67) and Shurilla in the 110 high hurdles (16.9).

Germantown boys track

Ben Holcomb paved the way to event titles in both the high and intermediate hurdles and the Warhawks won three other events as they took third in the North Shore Conference Relays on May 2.

The Warhawks, who took part in the Menomonee Falls Ron Burling Invitational on Tuesday, now look forward to the North Shore Conference Outdoor meet at Grafton at 4 p.m. May 15.

Germantown scored 80 points for its spot in the relays, as Homestead defended its crown with 103 and Whitefish Bay was second with 84.

Holcomb teamed with Everett Wood and Zak Winkler to win the 330 high hurdle shuttle in 51.14 and then worked with Wood and Jacob DeBonis to take the intermediate hurdle relay. Holcomb turned in a personal best of 39.39 on his 300 intermediate leg, which is good for a top three spot on the state honor roll.

"Some of my times are a little unexpected," Holcomb said, "because I'm well ahead of where I was last year. I've also done a lot more training for the 300s and they feel good now. The coaches want me to get out a little faster in that race. If I don't, I get yelled at (laughs)."

The 3,200 relay team of Tommy Adair, Cory Rhind, Zach Baus and Riley Kruger was also a winner in a season best of 8:20.05 as was the shot put trio of Bobby Stemm (personal best 48-11), Ryan Lemke (personal best 48-3 1/2 ) and Shae Callewaert (44-9); and the pole vault crew of Tyler Baran (event and personal best 13-0), Mitch Fox (12-0) and Tim Montag (8-0).

A second went to the high jump team of Bryan McMichael, Kameron Lau and Evan Wesenberg.

"We had some mistakes but we can work through them," coach Jared Foerch said.

Germantown boys golf

The glass is teetering between half-full and half-empty in the eyes of coach Gary Anderson, as despite a one-two individual finish from Jakob Garstecki and Phillip Johnson, respectively, the Warhawks could do no better than third in the Port Washington Invitational at Hawthorne Hills on Friday.

"To have a 69 (from Garstecki) and a 75 (from Johnson) and not walk away with a (team) win tells you something about where we're at as a team," Anderson said. "Two great performances and not much help. We're getting to the point in the season where someone else has to do something."

That effort followed a disappointing finish in the North Shore mini-meet on April 30, which put Germantown behind the eight-ball as far as the league title was concerned.

The Warhawks took part in another North Shore mini-meet at Ozaukee on Monday and take part in the Cedarburg Invitational at Hidden Glen on Thursday and then a high-level PGA-related event at Dretzka on Friday.

Garstecki turned in nine-hole efforts of 36 and 33 in defending his individual crown at the Port meet while Johnson had one stroke on third-place finisher Jack Comiskey of Whitefish Bay.

Germantown turned in an 18-hole score of 419 to tie with Brookfield Central for its spot in the play five, score five event as Brookfield Academy won with 411 and Bay was second with 415.

Logan Sterns was the third-best score for the Warhawks this day at 89.

Menomonee Falls girls soccer

The Indians went 2-0-1 in the Manitowoc Tournament on Saturday to improve to 8-4-2 overall.

Falls, still just 1-3 in the Greater Metro, took on border rival Hamilton on Tuesday and then hosts Milwaukee Lutheran on Thursday and then take on both Milton and Wisconsin Lutheran on Saturday morning, all as part of their own Indian Invite.

The Indians tied Green Bay Preble, 1-1, to open the Manitowoc Invite and then crushed Sheboygan Christian, 10-0, behind two hat tricks from Hannah Nelson and Jen Eberhardy, respectively, while individual scores went to Olivia Dennis, Hailey Schild, Rachel Clayton and Megan Perinovoc.

They then routed Campbellsport, 6-0, as Cassie Poeske had a hat trick while Megan Emory, Clayton and Anna Smalley also all found the back of the net.

Menomonee Falls boys tennis

The Indians beat Sussex Hamilton, 5-2, and fell to Brookfield Central, 7-0, in a pair of Greater Metro Conference duals last week.

Earning wins for the Indians against Hamilton were Paul Fitzgerald (2) and Brennan Schneider (4) in singles and all three doubles teams including the duos of Chris Hans and Kyle Wilkins, Andy Stoiber and Mitchell Gerke and Casey Hanrahan and Jake Bahneman.

The Indians take on Milwaukee King on Thursday. Coach J.J. Tischer said the Indians are trying to make up some rained out matches before the conference and WIAA series of events.

Germantown girls soccer

In a light week after a challenging month, the Warhawks got a hat trick from Maddie Tetzke, two goals each from Kayla Schlosser and Jamie Karch and individual scores from Jennifer Poss and Taylor Koepke in routing Milwaukee Lutheran, 9-0, in a North Shore match on May 1.

With the win, the fifth-ranked Warhawks improved to 3-1 in league play and 9-2-1 overall. They're a game behind unbeaten Cedarburg (4-0, 8-0) in league play. Paige Blankenheim also had two assists in the Lutheran game.

Germantown took on Port Washington on Tuesday and is at sixth-ranked DSHA at 7 p.m. Thursday.

- Steven L. Tietz

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